The World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine will be closing its doors on September 1. The United States Golf Association decided to relocate the Hall of Fame to its original location in Pinehurst, North Carolina. The Hall of Fame, which was founded in Pinehurst in 1974 and moved to St. Augustine in 1998, is situated in the World Golf Village resort community. In addition to the Hall of Fame, the St. Augustine properties include an IMAX Theater, a PGA Tour Productions facility, and 36.7 acres of parking lots and other amenities.
St. Johns County is now seeking input from residents on what to do with these properties. District 2 Commissioner Sarah Arnold stated that the Board of County Commissioners will take into account community input when making decisions regarding the assets. The World Golf Foundation plans to close the 64,113-square-foot facility on September 1, but has proposed a temporary lease extension until December 31.
In the meantime, PGA Tour Productions is planning to relocate from its 32,329-square-foot facility at the site to the PGA Tour headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach by the end of 2024. The 17,865-square-foot IMAX theater is scheduled to close on or about September 1. However, there is interest from Sun-Ray Cinema, a theater in Jacksonville, in taking over the IMAX facility. They have reached out to the St. Johns County Commissioners and asked their customers to express support for their plan.
To determine the future uses of the Hall of Fame property, St. Johns County’s Economic Development Department will hold town hall meetings and conduct online surveys to gather public feedback. The USGA plans to reopen the Hall of Fame in Pinehurst in 2024, as part of a new USGA campus with administrative offices and a testing and research facility called Golf House Pinehurst.
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Reference: Jax Daily Record